Archives

“GASP! Don’t look over there… She’s walking right behind you. When was the last time you saw her anyway?” (Quickly pondering what actually happened. Why are we not speaking? Did I do something wrong? Are we going crazy?) There’s clearly a natural gene in the human condition that avoids discomfort at all cost. Whether it’s the hazy lag that gets in the way of that week-long clean laundry pile waiting to be folded, or the creepy little demon inside our heads constantly manufacturing fear-based myths, we all struggle with confrontation in one way or another. But for right now, let’s dim the lights and spotlight interpersonal confrontation… and why it’s a GOOD thing! For some, this term has an aggressive connotation, for others this practice... Posted on June 14, 2017 by Hugette in Editor's Blog, Featured, Features0 commentsContinue Reading

I love a quote by Charles Spurgeon that imparts the following wisdom, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” The last couple of weeks have been serendipitously abundant with information about how 2016 has been quite the rough year for many. Whether it’d be via social media posts, podcasts, personal conversations or comments from passersby, the general consensus seems to be pessimistically melancholic. And while most things in life flow naturally in both directions of the spectrum, I couldn’t help but wonder what made this year so terrible for most. I’m not quite sure that I’ve figured that out yet, but what I can contribute to the somber tone of 2016’s departure is a list of practices,…

“Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” -Ben Sweetland When we begin to see life’s circumstances as opportunities to joyfully grow, deeply mature and positively evolve, we begin to see the light! Living in a state of sunshine is a decision to laugh, to dance, to sing, to enjoy, to appreciate, to give, to love! My journey has been quite an interesting one, and eventful to say the least, but in welcoming change, challenge and adventure, my heart has assimilated to that constant development. Understanding that each day, task and situation has a golden nugget of wisdom brings me a plethora of colorful joy! Seeking out the blessing at every opportunity will transform a gloomy perspective into a bright horizon of possibility and expectation. May…

It seems that as a generation, we have a tendency to battle life’s challenges as if we were the star comedian at a constantly sold out improv club. We “roll with the punches” in the most spontaneous way assuming that we’ll know exactly what to do when difficulty arises. In our emotional and spiritual lives we often wing it, and handle unforeseen circumstances with a disheartening sense of urgency. Our culture puts an enormous emphasis on the importance of academic exam preparation, military training, emergency airplane evacuation, and fire drills to name a few essential and valuable practices. However, just like any gymnast investing numerous hours training for the Olympics or a soccer player rigorously sprinting daily in preparation for the World Cup, we too…

Melody Beattie put it best when she said, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Very rarely do we understand life moving forward in the boisterous ebbs and flows of the mundane day-to-day. It’s only when we cede way to thorough retrospection that we are capable of glancing at the grand masterpiece delicately woven together by the “rain and sunshine” intervals life wittingly reveals. In essence, existence can only be understood when... Posted on December 31, 2015 by Hugette in Editor's Blog0 commentsContinue Reading

Love stories begin as an inexplicably propelling feeling and romantic legacies are birthed from the evolution of constantly nurtured decisions of commitment. As I get ready to exchange vows in the next 96 hours to the man that has unceasingly fought for the protection and nourishment of my heart, I’m conjointly recounting several love walk chapters that have led to the intentional decisions I’ve made. I’d like to subtly disclaim that the motives for the transparency and rawness of this message are to not only expose a very real aspect of life that often becomes forcefully inundated in our evasive culture, but to also build a tight knit vinculum between all women merging minds and spirits via this medium. I deeply respect and appreciate all…

While blogs are a magnificent way to open up your life lens to the world and expose people to beautiful, inspiring and interesting things, I do believe that there is still a creatively magical element to the therapeutic act of journaling. Through blogs we can educate, meditate, share, organize and perhaps even vent, but there is still a vastly public aspect to all things documented. I for one am a perpetual fountain of thoughts, ideas and emotions, (not sure if that’s a good thing or not) that needs to deposit and transfer information constantly. Whether that means jotting things down, embarking on a creative research streak or sharing with a friend. (Thank you, my wonderful, loving and patient soul mates… you know who you are!)…

The last couple of weeks have been pretty chaotic with events such as Mercedes Benz Fashion Swim Week taking place in beautiful Miami, as well as wrapping up our shoots for the Fall issue, which only means that I will now transition into my “hermit mode” in order to design and layout the book for your reading pleasure! =) The interesting thing about all this chaos and “busyness” in high activity seasons is that I grow exponentially on so many levels. I begin to fret or attempt to plan for everything taking place and somewhat neglect other areas in order to get through the tasks at hand, yet I can have the tendency to temporarily loose sight of the vision which initially fueled the initiative…

I was recently browsing through the web for some intrinsic soul inspiration and stumbled upon this most breathtaking and heart stirring quote which read, “If the world was blind, how many people would you impress?” Now this got me into rapid thinking mode and of course began to overwhelm me with ideas, emotions, exhortations and all else you can imagine would come at someone as if they were slapped in the face with the greatest wave of truth. Since that day, this quote has creepily weaseled its way into my every day causing a re-calibration of just about EVERYTHING! It made me wonder as a culture what it is that we praise, that we give value to, that we ultimately let ourselves become influenced by. And for…

The summer is here and Miami tends to be a “melting pot” not only for those culturally hungry individuals loving the diversity and colorful backgrounds of every face that walks by, but also for the climatic hermits who enjoy the warm rays while still delving into an invigorating wardrobe that includes layering even at its most minimal level. I for one, am and forever will be a “boot lady” til I die! (not exemplified in this post, but believe me, many boots to come) I love to wear them in all styles and colors regardless of weather conditions or climate, so it’s no surprise that I also love to wear light jackets in the summer. After all, most places I walk into have cranked up air conditioners that…

While recently listening to a Deepak Chopra podcast on a morning drive, I attentively tuned in as he calmly declared, “Love believes everyone is doing their best.” I repeatedly rehearsed and entertained this thought that although extremely elemental, is very seldom exercised. In this moment, everything shifted. My life flashed right before my eyes, like a giant roulette table reminding me of every circumstance in which someone has hurt, offended or rejected me. Now, with a different set of lenses every scenario yielded an opposing result. I attempted to dig deep with the eyes of love, and if everyone was in fact doing their best, my preconceived notions were erroneous all along. We often live by what we feel rather than what we know and…

As the ocean fluctuates in its mysterious vastness we observe and marvel at this body of life that brings serenity and peace while simultaneously invigorating the spirit to reach new heights. Funny thing about the sea is that it’s tides subtly change numerous times throughout the day and only if we stop and observe will we ever notice its peculiar residue on rocky surfaces which marks the levels of change. Living in places like Hawaii and Costa Rica where monumental mountains separate bays and secretly hidden natural treasures, it’s not uncommon to see people cross over while the tides are low. But as the tides begin to rise, an anxiety wave takes over, urging us to rush out before we get stuck on the wrong…